Shifting device for automobiles



Julyll, 1939. c. A. DREls'BAcH SHIFTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES 6 Shee-ts-Sheot 1 Filed June 4, 1937 `July 11 1939- c. A. DRElsBAcl-l 2,165,461

v SHIFTING' DEVICEl FVOR AUTOMOBILES l Filed June` 4, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qur/@Maa July 1l, 1939. v Q A, DREpsBACH 2,165,461

' SHIFTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 4, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 11, 1939.

C. A. DREISBACH SHIFTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 4, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 11, 1939. Q A. DRElsBAcH 2,165,461

SHIFTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 4, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 zwerm PATENT .ol-Fles 2.165.461 y e smru'nml DEVICE Fon. nn'roiuonnns Jlmrlfe A. Drehbuch, Yoann-N. Y. Appuatjion .runen-1931, sei-mno. 146,428

s mm. (ci. iso-. n' r This invention relates to an improvement in devices for shifting automobiles. and relates in particular kto devices whereby vehicles may be shifted laterally into and outof parking spaces One of the objects of the present invention is `to providea superior device by means of which a vehicle may be shifted laterally and characterized l I' Another object is to provide a superior shifting device for automobiles, in which the power delivered 'to the rear wheels may be utilized to eiect the lateral shifting of the automobile.

A still further object is to provide, in conjunction with means for shifting the vehicle laterallyl automatic means whereby the braking system may be caused to function in such manner as to leave one or more of the wheels of the automobile free for rotation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide, in conjunction with shifting means, a superior mechanism whereby the braking action of the braking system may be caused to simultaneously brake one of the front wheels of the vehicle and a, diagonally-opposite rear wheel thereof,l and still leave the remaining two wheels of the vehicle free for rotation.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art fromthe present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art. y

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an automobile chassis in which the present Ainvention has been embodied;

Fig. 2 is a broken View in rear elevation of the shifting-wheel and associated parts, the rear left wheel-unit of the automobile being shown by broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a View in left-side elevation of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig.l 4 is a broken view in rear elevation of the idleror caster-wheel located adjacent the righthand rear wheel-unit of the vehicle;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; e 55 Fig. 6 is a broken view partly in vertical section but mainly in' rear elevation of the manual operating mechanism. the `brake-selector unit and associated parts;

' Fig.l 'l is a view mainly in left elevation and partly in section of the elements of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a top or plan view-of the elements shown in Fig. 6 with the shank of the operatinghandle in section;

Fig. 9 is a vertical central sectional view of the brake-selector unit taken on on the line 9-9 10 of Fig. 8; v

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line Ill- Ill of Fig. 9;.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the valve-control head of the brake-selectorv unit; and

Fig. 12 is a similar view of the valve-control sleeve of the brake-selector unit.

s' The particular shifting deviceherein chosen e for illustration includes a shifting-wheel 20 which is mounted for rotation upon a stud '2|, the axis of which latter extends, when the said wheel is in operative position, at a right angle to the axle-housing 22 forming a usual feature of an automobile. The said shifting-wheel is preferably formed of light material, such, for instance, as an aluminum alloy, and has a transversely-convex peripheryv which may be suitably roughened for tractive engagement with the adjacent inner surface of the tire .of the left rear wheel-unit 23 of the automobile. 30

The stud 2l upon which the shifting-wheel 20 rotates is rigidly mounted in the outer end of a swinging carrier-arm 24 which is formed at its upper end with three (more or less) spaced-apart bearings 25 turning upon a short shaft 26 extending in a direction parallel with the axle-housing 22 at a point slightly below and considerably to the rear thereof. The shaft 26 is rigidly mounted by means of one or more transverse pins 21 in two (more or less) lugs 28 formed at the rear end of a horizontal bracket 29 which is rigidly secured to the axle-housing 22 beneath the spring 30 by means of shackle-bolts 3|, which serve also to secure the said spring 30 in' place.

As thus constructed and arranged, the shifting-wheel 20 may contact with the ground and rotate in a direction laterally of the chassis about the stud 2|, and also the said wheel may be bodily raised and lowered in a manner as will hereinafter appear about the shaft 26 as an axis.

To provide for bodily shifting the swinging carrier-arm 24 toward and away from the adjacent left rear wheel-unit 23 to insure proper tractive engagement of the shifting-wheel 2li with the tire when the carrier-arm 24 is swung downward- 55 ly, the inner end of the shaft 26 is provided with a threaded extension 32 upon which is threaded an adjusting-nut 33, a lock-nut 34, and a sliding tubular sleeve 35. The left end of the said tubular sleeve 35 bears against the adjacent one of the three bearings 25 of the carrier-arm 24 and serves, in conjunction with the nuts 33 and 34, to limit the sliding movement of the said arm 24 away from the adjacent left rear tire 23.

The swinging carrier-arm 24, above referred to, is provided with a hook-shaped upwardly and rearwardly projecting extension 36 which carries at its outer end a headed stud 31 upon which is mounted an anti-friction roller 38. The said roller 38 rides within a substantially L-shaped cam-groove 39 formed in a cam-arm'49, which latter is attached to an operating-shaft 4I by means of a key 42 with capacity for swinging movement with the said shaft and freedom for sliding movement axially therealong. The sliding movement of the cam-arm 49 occurs when the swinging arm 24 is adjusted along the axis of the shaft 26.

The operating-shaft 4I bears at its left end in the bracket 29, before described, and extends laterally across the chassis, as will be seen by reference to Fig. l in-particular, and bears at its right-hand end in a bracket 43 substantially corresponding to the bracket 29, before described, and like the same secured to the axle-housing 22 but in a position beneath the right-hand spring 44 by means of shackle-bolts 45.

The operating-shaft 4l, adjacent the bracket 29, has rigidly attached to it a V-groove pulley 46 over which extends an operating-cable 41 having its respective opposite ends wrapped around and secured to an operating-drum 48 which in turn is rigidly attached to a transverse operatingshaft 49 mounted for rotation about midway the length of the chassis and below the upper surface thereof.

The inner end of the operating-shaft 49 above referred to, bears in a forwardly-extending arm 59 forming a feature of a rack-housing 5l which is secured in any suitable manner to a cross-bar 52 of the automobile chassis. Immediately to the right of the arm 59, the operating-shaft 49 has rigidly secured to it a pinion 53 which meshes into a vertically-reciprocating rack 54 sliding within the rack-housing 5l before referred to. The upper end of the rack 54 is formed with a vertical socket 55 receiving with capacity for rotation the lower end of the shank 56 of a loopshaped operating-handle. Y

The operating-handle 51, just above referred to, is coupled to the rack 54 for concurrent vertical movement therewith, but with freedom for rotary movement with respect'thereto by providing the lower portion of its shank 56 with an annular groove 58 in which bears a coupling-pin 59 extending across the rack 54 in position to intersect the socket 55 therein and to bear in the annular groove 58, just referred to. l I

At a point slightly above the rack 54, the shank 56 of the operating-handle 51 is provided with a pair of oppositely-projecting locking-lugs 69--69 which are adapted, as shown particularly well in Figs. 6 and 8, to rest upon the top of the rackhousing 54 to positively prevent the`rack 54 from descending once the same has been pulled upward to the limit of its movement by means of the operating-handle 51. When it is desired to permit the rack 54 to be moved downwardly, the operating-handle 51 may be given a 90 turn from the position in which it is shown in Fig, 6,

wheel-unit 6| (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) from the said ground, the bracket 43 has pivoted to it, by means of a shaft 62, a caster-head 63, which latter, together with the parts carried thereby, may be swung rearwardly and upwardly from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5, and vice versa. The caster-head 63 is formed with a downwardlyopening bearing-socket 64 receiving' the upwardly-extendlng cylindrical stem 65 of a yoke 66, which straddles a casteror idler-Wheel 61 and carries at its lower end a shaft 68 upon which the said caster-wheel 61 rotates.

The caster-head 63, above referred to, is provided with a hook-shaped extension 69 carrying at its upper end a roller 19 bearing in an L- shaped cam-groove 1l formed in a cam-arm 12 corresponding to the cam-arm 40 before described and rigidly attached to the adjacent portion of the operating-shaft 4I. The cam-groove v1l of the cam-arm 12, as well as the cam-groove 39 of the cam-arm 49, includes a lifting-portion 13 sloping away from the shaft 4l and an outer lockingor dwell-portion 14 which latter extends substantially concentrically with respect to the operating-shaft 4l, with which latter both the cam-arms 49 and 12 turn.

When the operating-handle 51 (located adjacent the drivers seat) is lifted to correspondingly raise the rack 54 (Figs. 6 and 7), the pinion 53, shaft 49 and the operating-drum 48 will be turned and the latter will, through the intermediary of the cable 41, eilect the turning of the pulley 46 and hence the operating-shaft 4l. The turning of the operating-shaft, as just described, will correspondingly swing the cam-arms 49 and 12 and effect the bodily downward movement of both the shifting-wheel 29 and the caster-wheel 61 from the positions shown by broken lines in Figs. 3 and 5 to the positions shown by full lines in the samegures. As the said wheels 29 and 61 approach the limit of their downward movement, they will contact with the ground and the continued further movement will effect the slight lifting of the rear end of the automobile until both the left rear wheel-unit 23 and the right rear wheel-unit 6l will be raised free of the ground. 'Ihe shifting-wheel 29,'in addition to contacting the ground, as just described, will also be forced into tractional engagement with the adjacent side-surface of the tire of the Wheelunit 23 for being driven thereby. After the brakes of the automobile have been applied, ina manner aswill be presently described, the locking of only the right rear wheel-'unit 6l and the left front wheel-unit 15 will be effected, thus leaving the left rear wheel-unit 23 and the right front wheel-unit 16 free for rotation.

It may be explained in this connection that inasmuch as the power to drive the shiftingwheel 29 is, in the instance shown, to be derived from the rotation of the left wheel-unit 23, it is necessary under the circumstances to lock the right rear wheel-unit 6I against rotation, since otherwise no effective power could be derived from fone wheel-unit if the complementary rear wheel- It may aim be l@minnen minis connection that to facilitate the shifting of the car from the position in which it is shown by fuil lines in Fig. 1 tothe position in which it is shown by broken Alines in Fig. 1, itis necessary to leave the right frontwheel-unit 18 free for rotation, while maintaining the left front wheel-unit locked against rotation, in 'order to prevent'the bodily forward movement of the car duringthe'operation of laterally. shifting therear end thereof.

To effect the concurrent locking of the right and the right rear wheel-unit. The mechanism just referred to includes (Figs. 9 to l2) a valvevco control sleeve 11 which is mounted for rotation in a bracket 18 rigidly attached to the lower portion ofthe rack-housing 8| before described.- The said valve-control sleeve is formed in its reduced left end with an axial socket 19 receiving the end of the voperating-shaft 49 and rigidly coupled thereto by means of a set-screw 80.

The valve-control sleeve 11 rotates freely within a cylindrical fluid-tighthousing 8| having its left end closed by theadjacent end of the bracket 18 and having its right end closed by a housinghead 82. The right end of the valve-control sleeve 11 is formed with a helically-inclined camsurface 83 coacting with a similar cam-surface -l 84 formed upon the left face of a valve-control head 85 which latter is forced to the left by a valve-opening spring 88 located inthe housingl head 82 which provides a fluid-passage 90 through which the fluid of 'the hydraulic brake system reaches the brakes of the left rear wheelunit 23 and the right front wheel-unit 16.

Extending between the valve-control head 85.

and the housing-head 82 is a metallic bellows 9| which is secured to both the said heads in a fluid-tight manner, such, for instance, as by brazing vor soldering. Also extending between the valve-control head 85 and a cap -9-2 is a metallic bellows 93 secured at its respective opposite ends in a fluid-tight manner to both the said head 85 and the cap 92. IIhe cap 92 is coupled for axial movement with the end-wall of the valve-control sleeve 11 but the latter is free to turn withfrespect thereto. This coupling is effected by providing the cap 92 with an axial stem 94 extending into a bearing-passage 95 and locked in place against axial displacement by means of a screw 98. To provide communication for the 110W of fluid between the chamber formed'by the metallic bellows 9| andthe chamber formed by the metallic bellows- 93, the valve-control head 8 5 is provided with an annular series of perforations 91. l

.The interior vof the metallic bellows 9| communicates with a passage 98 leading radially outwardly through the housing-head 82 and having soldered or otherwise secured to its enlarged outer end the branch-arm of a T 99. The forward-arm of the T 99 is connected by means of a tube |00 to the hydraulic brake mechanism of the left front wheel-unit 15. The opposite or rear arm of the T 89 is connected by means of a tube |0| to -the hydraulic brake mechanism of the right rear wheel-unit 8|. In the usual manner of hydraulic brakes, the automobile shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a so-called master cylinder |02 connected by means of a tube |03 to the tube |00, before referred to, and having its interior piston or plunger operated in the usual' manner by a brake-pedal |04. v

The cuter end of thenuid-passage 90 in the tubular portion 89 of the housing-head82 is enlarged for the reception of the branch-arm of a T vwhich has its forward' arm connected by means of a tube |06 to the hydraulic brake mechanism of the right front wheel-unit 18. The

Arear arm of the T` |05 is connected by means of a f tube |01 to the hydraulic brake mechanism of the left rear wheel-unit 28.

Normally the valve-control head 85 in the housing 8| is in the position in which it is represented by broken lines in Fig. 9, in which position the valve-head 81 is clear of the valve-seat 88 and y y brake-fluid may iiow freely from the radial passage 98 in the housing-head 82 through the passage 90 and thence through the tubes |08 and 01 to the hydraulic brake mechanisms of the right front wheel-unit 18 and the left rear wheelunit 23. When the brake-pedal |04 is operated, regardless of the position of the valve-control head 85, the brake-fluid is always free to flow through the tubes |00 and |0| t the hydraulic brake mechanisms of the left front Wheel-unit and the right rear wheel-unit 8 I.

When, however, the operating-handle 51 is lifted to downwardliy swing both the shiftingwheel and the caster-wheel 81, the shaft 49 will be turned, as has been previously described, and in so turning, will similarly turn the valvecontrol sleeve 11, to thus cause its cam-surface 83, in conjunction with the cam-surface 84 of the valve-control head, to effect the movement of the said head from left to right into the position in which it is shown by full lines in Fig. 9, to thus bring the valve-head 81 into sealing engagement with the valve-seat 88 and thus cut off the flow of brake-fiuid to the hydraulic brake mechanismsof the right front wheel-unit 18 and the left rear wheel-unit 23.

It may be here noted that as the valve-,control head 85 is moved from left to right, as just described, to close the passage 90, the fluid capacity of the chamber enclosed within the metallic bellows 9| will be diminished and the fluid, which cannot now be accommodated in the said charnber, will flow through the perforations 91 into the chamber enclosed by the metallic bellows 93,

-which latter chamber has, by the movement of the head 85 just referred to, been correspondingly increased in capacity. Thus, despite the movement of the head 85 in either direction, no

pressure of a nature to effect the hydraulic brakes will be applied to the said fluid by such movement.

With the brake-control unit in the position in which it is shown in Fig'. 9, and with both the shifting-wheel 20 andthe caster-wheel 81 in engagement with the ground, the mechanism is in position to effect the movement of the rear end of the automobile from the position in which it is shown by full lines in Fig. 1 to the position in which it is shown by broken lines in the said figure.

The operator will now depress the brake-pedal |04 to thus lock the left-front wheel-unit 15 and the right rear wheel-unit 6I and will set the gearshift (not shown) into any one of the so-called forward speeds, so that when the clutch is let in, in the usual manner, the left rear wheelunit 23 will be turned forwardly in the same manner as though the said wheel were driving the automobile. Now, owing to the tractional contact between the shifting-Wheel 20 and the tire of the Wheel-unit 23, the shifting-wheel will be turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the rear, with the effect of forcibly shifting the rear end of the automobile to the right until the clutch of the automobile is again depressed to stop the rotation of the wheel-unit 23. When it is desired to shift the rear portion of the automobile from thef position' in which it is shown by broken lines in Fig. 1 outwardly toward the position in which it is shown by full lines in the same gure, the transmission of the automobile will be set to give a reverse drive upon the left rear wheel-unit 23, which will in turn effect the counterclockwise rotation of the shifting-wheel 2U. r

When it is desired to have the rear wheel-units 23 and 6l regain contact with the road surface for ordinary driving of the car, the operatinghandle 51 will be turned one-quarter turn to free its locking-lugs til-60 from the upper surface of the rack-housing 5i and the said handle will be thrust downwardly to depress the rack 5d. The depression of the rack, just referred to, will through the pinion 53 turn the operating-shaft i9 to concurrently turn the operating-drum lil!v and the valve-control sleeve 11. This rotation of the valve-control sleeve .11 will permit the valve-control head 85 to move into the position in which it i'sindcated by broken lines in Fig. 9, to thus restorethe hydraulic braking system to normal condition, wherein the depression of the brake-pedal lo@ will effect the energization of the hydraulic brake mechanisms of all of the four wheel-units.

The rotation of the drum 138, as just above described, will, through the intermediary of the cable'il and the pulley 4, effect the turning of the operating-shaft il and the cam-arms dll and 12 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 5, thereby effecting the similar swinging movement of the shifting-wheel 20 and the caster-wheel 61. When the said wheels 2G and 61 have been swung up into substantially a horizontal position, the Vrollers 38 and 10 will be located respectively in the locking-portions 14 of the cam-arms 50 and 12, thus holding the said wheels 20 and 61 in their raised positions until such time as the control-shaft Gl has again turned in a'clock'wise direction by means of the operating-handle 51.

When the rack 54 has been depressed as described it may be locked against accidental upward movement by giving the operating-handle 51 a one-quarter turn to engage its locking-lugs 60-60 with locking-recesses` HI8-|03 in the rack-housing 5I.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A device for laterally shifting automobiles including in combination: a shifting-wheel rotatable in a direction transverse of and organized -with an automobile structure adjacent one of the driving wheel-units thereof and mounted with capacity for bodily movement into and out of concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving-wheel unit and a road surface; and manually-controlled operating means serving to advance the said shifting-wheel into the said` concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving-Wheel unit and the said road surface to be transversely driven by the said driving-wheel unit along the said road surface, and the said operating-means being also operable to retire the said shifting-wheel, and including a roller and a coacting cam having a dwell-portion coacting with the said roller to hold the said shiftingwheel in its retired position.

2. A devicefor laterally shifting automobiles includingv in combination: a shifting-wheel rotatable .in a direction transverse of and organized with an automobile structure adjacent one of the driving wheel-units thereof and mounted with capacity for bodily swinging movement forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the automobile structure into ,and out of concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving wheel-unit and a road surface; and manually-controlled operating means serving to bodily swing the said shifting-wheel into the said concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving-Wheel and the road surface to be transversely driven by the said driving-wheel unit along the said road surface, and the said operating-means being also operable to retire the said shifting-wheel and including a -roller and a coacting cam having a dwell-portion coacting with the said roller to hold the said shifting-wheel in its retired position.

3. A device for laterally shifting automobiles including in combination: a carrier-arm pivdted to an automobile structure adjacent one of the driving wheel-units thereof for swinging movement forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the automobiley structure; a shifting-wheel carried by the said carrier-arm at a point removed from the point of the pivotal attachment of the said carrier-arm to the automobile structure and rotatable in a direction transverse of the automobile stru'cture, the said shifting-wheel being mounted upon the said carrier-arm so as to be concurrently movable bodily into the said concurrent tractive engagement'with the said driving wheel-unit and a road surface to b'e transversely driven by the said driving-wheel unit i along the said road surface; and manually-controlled operating means serving to swing the said carrier-arm to move the said shifting-wheel into and out of operative position, and including a roller mounted on said carrier-arm and a cam propelling the said roller.

4. A device-for laterally shifting automobiles including in combination: a shifting-wheel rotatable in a direction transverse of and organized with an automobile structure adjacent one of the driving wheel-units thereof andmounted vwith capacity for `bodily movement into and out of concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving Wheel-unit and a road surface; and manually-controlled operating vmeans operatively connected to and serving to advance the said shifting-wheel into the said concurrent tractive engagement with the said driving wheel unit and the said road surface tp be transversely driven by the said driving-wheel unit along the said road i surface, and the said operating-means being also operable to retire the saidI shifting-wheel; the

said operating means including a rotatable camk ture having hydraulic braking system serving n each of its laterally-opposite driving wheel-units; of a device for laterally shifting automobiles, including a shifting-wheel rotatable in a direction transverse of the automobile and driven by one of the driving wheel-units of the automobile; and manually-controlled valve-means normally inactively associated with the driving-wheel units and operable to cut oil? the fluid pressure of the hydraulic brake system from the brake mechanism ofthe driving wheel-unit by which the said shifting-wheel is driven.

6.A The combination with an automobile structure having two front wheels and two rear driving-wheels and a brake mechanism for each of the said four wheels; of a device for laterally shifting automobiles', including a shifting-wheel rotatable in a direction transverse of the automobile and driven by one of the driving wheelunits o'f the automobile; Aand means normally inactively associated with the driving-wheel unitsV and operable to selectively render inoperative the brake mechanism of the driving-wheel by which the said shifting-wheel is driven and also the brake mechanism of the diagonally-opposite front wheel.

'7. The combination with an automobile structure having two front wheels and two rear drhing-wheels and a hydraulic brake mechanism for each of the said four wheels; of a device for laterally shifting automobiles, including a shifting- Wheel rotatable in a direction transverse of the automobile and driven by one of the driving,

wheel-units of the automobile; and valve-means normally inactively associated with the drivingwheel units and operable to cut off the fluid pressure of the hydraulic brake system from the braking mechanism of the driving-wheel by which the said shifting-wheel is drivenand also the hydraulic brake mechanism of the diagonally-opposite front wheel.

CHARLES A. DREISBACH. 

